Dunkin' Donuts, which has had only a handful of shops in the Houston area until now, announced Monday it’s made a deal to open 16 new locations in the Houston area over the next six years.

According to a news release from the company, a group called 521 Interests LTD, led by David Greenberg and Stephen David, will develop the Houston locations, with the first set to open by 2013.

A spokesman for the Dunkin’ corporation told the Examiner Monday that while the number had been determined, locations couldn’t yet be announced.

Dunkin’ will also open five new spots in San Antonio. A big name partnership that includes Troy Aikman and the Jerry Jones family was already announced recently that will develop 50 locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Dunkin’s master plan is to double its eateries in the U.S. in the next 20 years.

In more than 60 years, the chain has expanded to 10,000 locations worldwide, 7,000 of those in the U.S.

Until now, it’s been tough to satisfy a Dunkin’ craving in the Houston area, with only four far-flung locations.

A popular franchise in Bellaire was closed for an extended period when the owner didn’t want to pay to perform the upgrades required to bring the older location to the company’s current standards. But another owner jumped in and the location is thriving again with Dunkin’s expanded beverage and food menu.